Church of the Holy Trinity
623 Star at 7th Street
Bonham, Texas 75418
903-583-8184
THE VICAR’S VOICE
Driving directions, Mission Statement, Guideline to the Eucharist, Times and days of Services, Pictures, Names of the Vestry and Church Officers, Daughters of the King, Alter Guild, Services Volunteers, Outreach programs, News. LOG ON!!
Gary Vernon is our webmaster and welcomes photos and news to post on the website. Email your information and photos to him at
webmaster@mail.holytrinitybonham.org
VESTRY REPORT – GARY VERNON
We had our first meeting of the 2007 Vestry on February 28th. One of our goals again for this year is church growth. We have started with two initiatives; one is to clean up our signs located around Bonham. We are also planning on putting a new sign in front of the Parish House facing North so those traveling down Star Street from Sam Rayburn Drive will see it. The other initiative is this news letter for which we have been trying to get a volunteer editor for some time now. Based on her presentation at the meeting it looks like we have found a good one in Pat Ward. I encourage all of you to provide whatever assistance you can to make it a success.
ALTAR GUILD
Thanks to the following members servicing the altar in March:
Mar. 4 – Michael-David Risser-Gant , Mar 11 – Pam Walker, Mar 18 – Irete Purdue, Mar 25 – Mary Jo Barbee
Flowers are placed on the altar to the glory of God. Contact Jean Whitlock to provide flowers for your special concession or memorial.
SUNDAY COFFEE HOUR
Betty Drumm is responsible for signing up members to provide refreshments to accompany the Coffee Hour after services on Sunday.
Irish Potato Beauty and Fashion Contest and Lunch
Sunday, March 18, 2007 – 11:30 AM
Step 1: buy the best looking Irish potato you can find, dress it up in its finest, paint its “face”, give it hair or a mustache, make it a human, an animal or a bird, to enter the contest. Enter as many potatoes as you care to decorate. Winners in several categories will be announced after lunch. Must be present to win.
Entry fee is $5 per potato donation to the Building Fund
Step 2: Invite your friends, family, co-workers and neighbors to enter the contest and come for a Donate-Whatever-You-Can Irish potato lunch at Holy Trinity on March 18th
Step 3: Oven-bake 6 Irish potatoes wrapped individually in foil, and bring them to the 10:30 Mass on Sunday, March 18th in an insulated container to keep them hot
Basic toppings, coffee, coco milk and iced tea will be provided. Feel free to bring any other toppings you’d like with enough to share.
Any potatoes left over from lunch can be taken to the local fire and law enforcement stations.
Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper and Fundraiser
Holy
Trinity honored the 16th Century tradition of preparing to abstain
from meats and of using up all the perishables in a household during Lent with a
pancake cook-off between Pat Ward and Pam Walker. Pat enlisted Fr. Bill as
Chief Flipper. Pat offered her “secret family recipe” of a just-add-water
pancake mix and flavored sparkle water. Pam Walker‘s cakes were home mixed with
eggs, buttermilk and pecans.
Shrove Tuesday, also known as Fat Tuesday and Mardi Gras brought out the beads
and joviality associated with such a feast. Funds generated by $5 donations
($165 excluding expenses) were earmarked for the building fund.
Holy Trinity welcomes ideas for special events for the benefit of the building
fund or another church project, either at Coffee Hour on Sundays, after
Wednesday services, or on a weekend. Food and fellowship is plentiful at Holy
Trinity.
&The
Constitution of the United States of America and the Constitution of the
Episcopal Church of America were ratified in the same city (Philadelphia), in
the same building (Independence Hall), and in the same year (1789). pg. 26
V Holy Trinity’s COMMUNITY OUTREACH - Ideas
and Implementation
Do
you have a hobby or want to review a good book you’ve read for your friends?
Can you offer a seminar on a useful topic of interest from your education,
training or experience? Want to teach a card game and start a weekly players
group? Do you have family heirlooms that you’d be proud to show others and tell
of its history? Are you a collector and you’d like to show others your
collection and see what interesting items and artifacts other people collect?
(Why couldn’t we host our own local “antiques road show” and get the antiques
shops on the square to sponsor a licensed antiques appraiser from the metroplex
to come here for a day or a weekend?)
Would you like to teach a short class on something interesting or useful? Is
there some skill that you’d like to acquire and would attend a seminar or short
class on how to do it if somebody scheduled one?
We and our visitors enjoyed a great time at our Shrove Tuesday pancake supper.
We can offer more of those kinds of events and some programs for our own
enjoyment and to encourage others in the community to get to know us and enjoy
those good times with us.
It’s not too early to think about what charitable service we might offer for
this year’s Thanksgiving and Christmas season.
V SCRIPTURAL STUDY GROUPS Father
Dalton is open to suggestions regarding topics or areas for study groups both
for pre-Mass Sunday school and Wednesday evening Mass. Special study groups can
be formed for meetings at the Parish house any day or time. If you have a
special interest…..women of the Bible, history of the Anglican
Episcopal liturgy,
study of other religions, Biblical genealogy, or any other religious topic, contact
Father Dalton.
Communicants’ Corner
Michael-David Risser-Gant Organist & Cantor since 1968 Michael-David’s primary Alma Mater is Austin College at Sherman where he majored in eight disciplines and two minors. He earned a
Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts. He is currently studying under a special post-graduate
student status. He also attended UT-Dallas and Texas A&M. From the
beginning of his formal education at the age of 18, Michael-David has also
studied Gregorian. His family roots lie in the Roman Catholic and Anglican
Catholic denominations. Michael-David’s piano study began at age
4 and organ study at the age of 14. He continued piano and organ study with
Julliard while a student at Austin College (1968-1975). His service to Holy Trinity as organist
and cantor began early in the summer of 1968 before he was Confirmed in 1974 at
Holy Trinity in Bonham. Michael-David’s hobbies and interests
range from mountain biking, hiking and climbing to the more artistic practices
of gold leafing, oil painting, drawing, haiku composition and both Oriental and
Western calligraphy. He is a self-taught student of many disciplines including
the arts and humanities .
Several visitors from
the community joined in our festivities at the invitation of our members. 
Beverly and David Rainbolt
The Rainbolts relocated from Dallas to the cattle ranch that David already owned north of Lake Bonham in 1997. They transferred their letter of membership from St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in McKinney. Both are natives of Dallas.
David attended SMU for a short time but obtained his graduate certificate in banking from the American Institute of Banking, following his father, Ike Rainbolt, a Loan Officer at Republic National Bank. David retired from RNB after r 29 ½ years as Vice-President of Installment Loans in the Time Credit Department. Almost immediately he was persuaded to manage the Spring Valley Branch Bank for the next 7 years before his final retirement. He served in the Korean War and retired from the USAF Reserve in 1988 and from the Dallas Police Reserve with 16 years service. He served on the City Council in Lucas for many years, served on the Neighborhood Housing Board and was a Director for the American Institute of Banking.
Beverly went to work at Republic National Bank right after high school as a secretary in April of 1958. It was there that David and Beverly met. They married on Feb. 27th, 1959, after dating only 3 months. In 1968, Beverly went to work in the Law Department at the corporate offices of the Ling-Vaught-Tempco Corporation and retired after 15 years. In 1983 she went to work for Cheerleader Supply Company as an Executive Secretary and retired after 9 years with that company.
She became an election judge and has served for many years in Ivanhoe and at the Fannin County Courthouse. She was President of the Holy Trinity Chapter of the Daughters of the King for several years, served as Secretary of the Vestry for 2 years, and as a member of the Vestry. She was Senior Warden of HTEC for two years. Until 2004, the Rainbolts were active in volunteer work with the Golden Kiwanis Club and participated in fund raisers for Meals on Wheels and were active with the Community Ministries. She is a member of the Holy Trinity Chapter of Daughters of the King.
David Rainbolt. now 78 years old, suffers from a rare and incurable brain disorder called Progressive Supreneuclear Palsy (PSP). His symptoms began in 1998 but were misdiagnosed for 5 years by multiple practitioners, perhaps because PSP manifests symptoms closely related to cerebral vascular accident (“stroke”), Parkinson’s disease and other neuromuscular pathologies.
Early symptoms of PSP include the inability to articulate common words. Thought processes, cognitive thinking and comprehension remains intact throughout the disease process.
PSP progresses rapidly and results in the loss of motor control (walking, sitting, standing, balance, eye-hand coordination), aphasia (the inability to form words), and dysphagia (failure of the muscles in the throat that accommodate reflexive swallowing of secretions and sometimes solid or liquid foods leading to choking and strangling). Symptoms of PSP mask the symptoms of normal dementia from aging and Alzheimer’s disease.
Beverly believes that David is fully aware of his surroundings, understands everything said to him and that his cognitive and critical thinking capability is intact. He is unable to respond verbally but reacts appropriately to verbal and tactile stimuli and to the environment.
She deeply appreciates the kindness and understanding of her friends at Holy Trinity as she and David endure the hardships and heartbreak of this debilitating disability.
THE CHURCH OF THE HOLY VVV TRINITY STORY – Part I
Trinity Church, as it was called when established in 1876, became a Mission of the Episcopal Diocese of
Texas in 1877 and a Parish in 1885. (Because of decreasing membership, we are
again a Mission.) Its first meetings were held in members’ homes and at the First Baptist Church in Bonham. In 1882, Rev. T.B. Lawson donated the land on Star Street. Until a structure was completed, parishioners sat on rough planks and
worshipped at a crude board nailed to a strip of wood on the site. The original
church building, completed in 1883, was totally destroyed by fire in 1961.
The little frame house serving as our Parish House originally served as the Methodist Church at Edhube. It was purchased by Trinity church members and moved to the
property to be used for services until the present church building was
completed. For a time it also served as the first Montessori School in Bonham, operated by Dr. Helen Waugh Leatherwood (Michael-David Risser-Gant’s cousin).
The grand plan at the time (and now) was for a Parish Hall matching the architectural design of the church.
The Church of the Holy Trinity in Bonham is one of the 13 founding churches of the
original Protestant Episcopal Missionary District of Texas. By the time the
Diocese of Dallas was established by the General Convention in 1895, Holy
Trinity had been in operation for nearly 20 years.
Holy Trinity was placed on the Texas Registry of Historic Places in 1996 on the 160th anniversary of its founding. (To be continued next newsletter)
¼ANGLICAN RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIES – USA
Convents and Monasteries – Part I
There are 45 Anglican Church religious communities in the USA. The nearest to us is probably the convent of the Order of St. Helena located in Augusta, GA. The Sisters work in parishes as priests or pastoral assistants; they lead retreats, quiet days and conferences; work with the national Church and various organizations; offer spiritual direction; many are psychotherapists; they teach; serve as hospital chaplains and lead community service programs. Five Sisters are ordained priests. The Order of St. Helena convents in Vails Gate, NY, and Augusta, Georgia, have guest houses and offer retreats and conferences. The sisters adhere to a contemporary version of traditional monasticism, taking a threefold vow of Poverty, Chastity and Obedience.
(More on Anglican religious communities in the next newsletter)
OUR BISHOP – http://jmstanton.com/bishop/
Bishop James Monte Stanton was consecrated as the sixth bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Dallas March 6, 1993 at the age of 47. A native of Atchison, Kansas, Bishop Stanton has served as curate, vicar, and rector at Episcopal churches in California and Iowa. He holds a D.Min. from the So. California School of Theology (Class of 1975) and was ordained to the Episcopal deaconate in Los Angeles in October 1977. He came to Dallas after serving for six years as rector of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Glendale, California... Bishop Stanton and wife, Diane, have been married since December, 1968.
The Diocesan Website…
2006 Dallas Diocesan Convention Report with photos; special programs and resources for communicants; messages from the Bishop; historic information; and more: http://www.episcopal-dallas.org/news.html
The Archbishop of Canterbury’s Website
Get to know the Archbishop, how he was appointed , what role the British Prime Minister and the Queen of England have in the election process; what the Archbishop’s philosophy is regarding the current chasm in the Anglican world; see Lambeth Palace and the Chair of St. Augustine; and more:
http://www.archbishopofcanterbury.org/office/appointmentprocedures.html
March Birthdays
Allen Castle (31st), Charlene Dalton (1st), Beverly Rainbolt (21st), Roger Ward (18th)
@Editor is looking for the following :
· Old photographs taken at Holy Trinity including the building, people, social events, etc. for the newsletter. Editor can take a photo of your pictures without taking them out of your hands.
· Biographical information from members for the newsletter. Don’t wait to be asked, please! See the Communicants Corner (pg 2) for the kind of information to include in your bio. Editor will send it to you for your approval before it is published.
Send by mail to: Pat Ward, HTEC Newsletter, 353 PR 207, Ivanhoe, TX 75447
or via email (preferred) to HOLYTRNTYEDITOR@aol.com
(See Community Outreach) Your ideas for activities that we can invite friends, family and neighbors, other churches etc. to participate in with us. This is an effort to enhance our presence in the community and bring Holy Trinity’s congregation closer together as a communion.
Holy
Trinity could make good use of a few items for the Parish House if you have
them and are not using them:
Television
set, DVD-VHS player, Tall 32-cup coffee maker, Heavy duty multiple receptacle
electric extension cords, electric griddle, BBQ pit (not huge), Oven toaster/broiler,
slot toaster
The Titus Project A
pathway to the priesthood for rural church ministry
In an effort to
address the shortage of ordained priests available to serve the financially
challenged small or remote rural churches, the Titus Project is offered to
encourage late (50 years old or older) accelerated vocational ordination to the
priesthood for those who feel called to the ministry. The process requires a
specific application and examination process and approval of the Bishop, 3
years of study pursuant to Ordination under tutors and mentors approved by the
Bishop, Reading for Holy Orders, taking the Ordination exam, attend monthly
meetings with the Rural Church Ministry Committee and follow a regimen of
continuing education prescribed by the Bishop. Once Ordained, the rural church
clergy is closely monitored by his or her sponsor and mentor as well as the
RCMC and the Bishop and required to continue his or her studies.
In addition to the minimum age of 50 years, candidates for the rural church
priesthood are required to be indigenous to the area which he or she proposes
to serve, be non-dependent on his or her compensation by the church for a
livelihood, a member of the Episcopal church for not less than five years, and
a college graduate or equivalent education.
See Father Dalton if you qualify and are interested in pursuing this route to the
priesthood to some day serve Holy Trinity.